How did medieval pricket candlesticks hold candles in place?

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Candles and candlesticks — candlestick An assortment of decorative candles and candlesticks arranged for display.

Medieval pricket candlesticks held candles in place by impaling the lower end of the candle onto a vertically oriented iron spike, or pricket, fixed to the candlestick's stem or tray.1

This method was the primary way of securing candles in both domestic and ecclesiastical settings throughout the Middle Ages. While the socket was later introduced as an alternative, it did not replace the pricket, and many late medieval designs featured both mechanisms on a single stem. These spikes were often found on various forms of lighting, including:1

Domestic candlesticks: Simple blocks of wood or metal featuring a single spike.1
Chandelier and Coronas: Large, openwork hoops of iron or bronze that supported numerous prickets for multiple candles.1
Altar candlesticks: Elaborate, often decorative stands used in churches that utilized prickets to hold candles before shrines.1

In some instances, such as those produced by German and Mosan bronze founders, the pricket was artistically integrated into the design, appearing to be held by figures of birds, monsters, or warriors.1